A proposed $4 billion natural gas pipeline expansion promises to increase the supply to New England, and may well increase options for Worcester-area customers. But getting the additional gas to users requires running new lines through several area communities.

The Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. plan would increase capacity in its main lines running along the northern part of the state to a terminus in Dracut.

Tennessee Gas has 13,900 miles of existing pipeline stretching from Texas to Massachusetts. It has customers in New England that include electric power generators, as well as those who provide gas to residential and business properties, including NSTAR and Fitchburg Gas & Electric.

In Massachusetts, Kinder Morgan operates about 600 miles of pipeline, about half the state's natural gas supply lines. But lateral lines, or spurs, distribute the gas to other users, including Fitchburg, Clinton and Worcester.

The new pipeline to supply Worcester would supplement gas from an existing line, according to representatives from Kinder Morgan, Tennessee Gas Pipeline's parent company. The Fitchburg lateral pipeline would connect the northern route into the lateral that currently brings gas from the southern pipeline.

The expansion — called the Northeast Energy Direct Project — would add 418 miles of new pipeline through Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, and is designed to add capacity to the New England gas supply, according to Allen Fore, director of public relations for Kinder Morgan.

The concept of increasing natural gas supplies for the region is supported by governors in the New England states, as well as utility companies, and will be occurring as four large New England power plants, including coal, oil and nuclear, are slated to close in the next few years, according to Kinder Morgan.

Those companies are the customers that are driving the demand for the pipeline, Mr. Fore said. He said Kinder Morgan only transports the gas through its lines and thus needs to have contracts with companies in place before it undertakes such a huge private investment.

The North Worcester lateral line will branch off from the main line in Bolton, then be routed through Berlin, Bolyston and possibly parts of Northboro and West Boylston on through to Shrewsbury.

"New England does need new capacity to meet the demands for heating and electricity," according to Michael Durand of NSTAR, a major gas supplier in the Worcester area.

The pipeline plan has not been met with open arms.

Although opponents of the pipeline have focused on the main line expansion — a 30- to 36-inch diameter pipe that carries gas from the Marcellus shale field in the Pennsylvania and New York region — area residents are concerned about the how and where the extension into Worcester will be built.

Recent forums in Berlin and Bolton have brought out people with questions about the impact on their property, as well as on protected property such as conservation and agriculture lands.

Mr. Fore said the route is still not set, although landowners are being contacted for initial surveys along a "survey corridor."

As the surveys provide more information, the route is being modified. Mr. Fore said after each of the 22 town hall meetings held so far, there have been modifications based on new information garnered from residents.

The overall project, which needs many regulatory approvals, is focused on a planned September "pre-filing" that will start review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The federal agency has substantial power to approve interstate utility projects, but Mr. Fore said state and even local processes are involved.

In addition, individual landowners can negotiate not only compensation, but restrictions the company must adhere to as part of easement agreements, he said.

The easements will range from 30 to 50 feet, and prevents anything being built on the pipeline's path, Kinder Morgan project manager Mark Hamarich said. Existing obstacles such as buildings, wells and septic systems can alter the route. Construction easements can be larger, typically up to 85 feet.

In general, the landowner would have to keep the easement clear and the company would do regular maintenance such as brush and grass cutting. Mr. Fore said the company does not generally use herbicides.

Residents have expressed safety concerns.

At the Berlin forum, Mr. Hamarich said blasting would be contained, and the company would conduct inspections of nearby wells and buildings before and after work is done.

In addition, regular inspections including aerial checks are used to monitor the pipelines for leaks or activity that could damage the buried lines.

In some instances, the depth of the pipeline, typically about 3 feet, Mr. Hamarich said, will be greater, especially in agricultural areas, so plowing can occur above it, or if needed for obstacles such as roads or waterways.

In Bolton and Berlin, Conservation Commissions have not yet allowed survey access to town conservation land because of concerns.

It is still unclear what protections the state has for land that is under various types of protection.

Mr. Fore said, however, that the company is trying to avoid eminent domain as a means of getting easements.

Right-of-way manager Mike Lennon of Kinder Morgan said eminent domain takings were "an infrequent event. We are extremely successful to construct and compensate to avoid that process."

In response to questions at the forums, Mr. Fore said the company has considered "co-location" with other utilities such as power lines and roads, but many of those are limited. The company is required to include alternative routes in its filings with federal regulators, Mr. Fore said.

Residents suggested I-495 and I-290 as highways that could be used.

Mr. Hamarich said expanding through the existing Clinton line was not feasible, since it is a small line with a small easement in a congested area.

The process would see construction as early as 2017, assuming it wins federal approval and any needed permits from state and local agencies and boards.

Mr. Fore said the process is public, and once the formal process starts, people can receive copies of any document submitted.

The tentative timeline includes open houses later this year before federal hearings, and a formal filing in the fall of 2015. Federal approval is anticipated in the fall of 2016, with construction starting in 2017 for operation later in 2018.

Kinder Morgan said the project will add $25 million in tax revenue to the state, on top of the existing $5.8 million, although the total drops over time as the value of the new pipeline depreciates. In addition, construction jobs will employ many state residents, Mr. Fore said.

In response to concerns gas may be exported, Mr. Fore could not rule out the possibly of some gas running from the terminus in Dracut to export lines, but he said the project was being driven by demand throughout New England.

Some residents at forums have commented that they would like to be able to access the gas going through the town, but Kinder Morgan representatives have said that is not their mission; rather the end utilities handle local distribution.

Mr. Durand said NSTAR will expand service if the demand is there and capacity allows it. There are currently some gas customers even in towns like Berlin and Bolton, he said, and expanded capacity would potentially allow expansion of service in those communities.

Mr. Durand said NSTAR is interested in any proposals to increase gas supply.

"There is a clear need," he said. "We've seen a significant number of customers converting to natural gas, largely due to low price. We're confident that will continue."

Without that new capacity, there will be limits to adding users in the future.

"We expect the efforts of the governors will result in multiple projects," Mr. Durand said. He said NSTAR is working with local communities to coordinate pipeline expansion in the streets as customer demand grows.

As news of the pipeline proposal has spread, protests have grown from western Massachusetts, with high profile opponents such as comedian Bill Cosby; groups are seeking to block the project through legislative and regulatory channels.

Numerous towns along the main pipeline route have objected, with some boards of selectmen or town meetings taking stances opposing the project.

A petition asking that the pipeline not be built was presented to Kinder Morgan officials at a Berlin forum on the issue last week.

Opponents are also questioning studies showing the need for more natural gas.

Former Bolton Conservation Commission member Robert Cohen said the extra capacity would be needed only on the worst, coldest days if plants are shut down.

"We want renewable energy," he said at the Bolton forum, adding he felt the gas was not any cleaner than what is used now in coal plants.

In the towns affected by the North Worcester lateral line, community officials are working with legislators to examine options and the impact on towns from the North Worcester expansion project.

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